How should wires be attached to transom anode?

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Russell Clifton

Russell Clifton

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Joined
Sep 10, 2012
Messages
877
Location
usa
Vessel Name
Sea Fever
Vessel Make
Defever 49 RPH
There are two studs going thru the transom that the anode is attached to on the outside of the hull. I currently have one wire attached to one stud. Should there be a wire going to each stud? Maybe run a jumper to the other stud? Or is it correct the way it is? Thanks.
 
Two is better than one but not necessary.
 
Russell, that is your bonding wire.

If so, one is correct.
 
Some use one stud made of a better electrical conductor, maybe gold plated. If that's the case with yours, that would be the bonding connection point.
 
One is ok. The second bolt is to hold the anode in place.
 
For all the belt and suspenders comments on TF every day, no one else is going to suggest a $1 jumper or second wire?
 
psneeld said:
For all the belt and suspenders comments on TF every day, no one else is going to suggest a $1 jumper...?
Click to expand...

Why? I don't think they feel the cold. :)
 
Last edited:
psneeld said:
For all the belt and suspenders comments on TF every day, no one else is going to suggest a $1 jumper or second wire?
Click to expand...

I am usually one for overdoing something but in this case the two bolts go into the same piece of anode so one good connection should be fine. I don’t see any benefit jumping from one point on the anode to another point on the same piece of anode.
 
Comodave said:
I am usually one for overdoing something but in this case the two bolts go into the same piece of anode so one good connection should be fine. I don’t see any benefit jumping from one point on the anode to another point on the same piece of anode.
Click to expand...

Anode what you mean!
 
Comodave said:
I am usually one for overdoing something but in this case the two bolts go into the same piece of anode so one good connection should be fine. I don’t see any benefit jumping from one point on the anode to another point on the same piece of anode.
Click to expand...
Two is better than one...I hear it all the time here.


Where are those guys when you need them? :)


Sure one is good enough when it's good enough. A second might be low resistance if the other goes higher for whatever reason.


How come that argument fails in so many other threads?
 
You need to connect a wire to that second bolt ASAP! If you don't you are at risk of having your boat sink out from under you.
 
That's the way most threads go....didn't want this one to be the odd duck :)
 
I always wondered what those 2 bolts were for.
 
Well, somebody has to uphold belt and suspenders.

Actually, the only reason I connected to both bolts is because I had two major trunk lines of bonding cable converging near the transom—one with all the ER connections and one for the shaft struts, rudders and aft through hulls.
 

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angus99 said:
Well, somebody has to uphold belt and suspenders.

Actually, the only reason I connected to both bolts is because I had two major trunk lines of bonding cable converging near the transom—one with all the ER connections and one for the shaft struts, rudders and aft through hulls.
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So you were just being tidy?
 
I had to add a wire to the second bolt on my anode attachments this year.
Usually I have used a 5/8 drill to drill the anode for its double stud attachment. Last year I left the 5/8 bit in the drill press at the YC and this year I was to the point of having only the anode attachment to do before splashing when I realized that I didn't have a 5/8 bit. I drilled a 1/2" hole, but with the small misalignment that was solved by using a 5/8 bit, I could only get one bolt, one nut, on the anode. It does rest against the second bolt. On the inside, predictably, It was only the bolt that the anode rests against, not the one securely bolted to it, that was connected to the bonding wire. Hence the use of a length of stripped 14g wire wrapped between the two bolts on the inside.
 
Angus99;
I've got something similar going on. I have a copper strip running down the center of the boat to which all the green bonding wires attach to. But when it get's to the stern, there is wire that attaches from that strip to a stainless plate near the transom that the auto pilot equipment is mounted to, then out the other end of that plate to the anode. So this stainless plate is being used as part of the circuit. Not the way it should be.

So I'm going to run the wire from the copper strip directly to one of the anodes studs (the way it should be). Then I will run a second wire from the other stud to a bus bar, then run separate wires from the bus to all the parts needing bonding at the transom (rudders, struts,thru hull, etc.) Then work my way forward, separating all the bonding wire connections, clean with a wire brush or replace terminal, apply anti corrosion , and re-attach. Should be good for a couple of days on my knees!
 
menzies said:
So you were just being tidy?
Click to expand...

Well, it had to terminate somewhere :rolleyes:.

Russell Clifton said:
Angus99;

So I'm going to run the wire from the copper strip directly to one of the anodes studs (the way it should be). Then I will run a second wire from the other stud to a bus bar, then run separate wires from the bus to all the parts needing bonding at the transom (rudders, struts,thru hull, etc.) Then work my way forward, separating all the bonding wire connections, clean with a wire brush or replace terminal, apply anti corrosion , and re-attach. Should be good for a couple of days on my knees!
Click to expand...

This is almost exactly what I did. FWIW, the ABYC electrician I was consulting with warned me not to use self-tapping screws on the copper strip because they’ll eventually vibrate loose. I drilled new holes, tapped them and used lock washers to maintain a good connection.
 

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Russell Clifton said:
Angus99;
I've got something similar going on. I have a copper strip running down the center of the boat to which all the green bonding wires attach to. But when it get's to the stern, there is wire that attaches from that strip to a stainless plate near the transom that the auto pilot equipment is mounted to, then out the other end of that plate to the anode. So this stainless plate is being used as part of the circuit. Not the way it should be.

So I'm going to run the wire from the copper strip directly to one of the anodes studs (the way it should be). Then I will run a second wire from the other stud to a bus bar, then run separate wires from the bus to all the parts needing bonding at the transom (rudders, struts,thru hull, etc.) Then work my way forward, separating all the bonding wire connections, clean with a wire brush or replace terminal, apply anti corrosion , and re-attach. Should be good for a couple of days on my knees!
Click to expand...


If I am understanding this correctly, you are going to go into the anode on one stud and out of the anode on the other stud. If you are going to continue the circuit past the anode, I would put the in and out wires on the same stud. That way you are not including the anode in the circuit. The anode may add some resistance into the circuit. I would prefer to run a separate wire from the copper strip to the anode and another separate wire to the bus bar. But I could live with either way.
 
Comodave said:
If I am understanding this correctly, you are going to go into the anode on one stud and out of the anode on the other stud. If you are going to continue the circuit past the anode, I would put the in and out wires on the same stud. That way you are not including the anode in the circuit. The anode may add some resistance into the circuit. I would prefer to run a separate wire from the copper strip to the anode and another separate wire to the bus bar. But I could live with either way.
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I will do that. Thank you.
 
It's not a circuit in a strict sense...so the proposed wiring should be OK as the flow on both terminals should be towards the anode .


It's the way my boat has been for 8 years with no issues.


I do thinki it was using that SS plate incorrectly though.
 
Or just deviate from the whole bonding system. Mine was removed during the resto, and no issues seen. No bonding at all from thru-hull to thru-hull. Zincs on the shafts and rudders, and that's about it. Seems to be the way a lot are going now.
 
I was part of a conversation on bonding years ago (maybe over a decade ago) when investigating whether or not I should add it to my Silverton 40Aft which did not have any bonding. It was about 50-50 for and against. The argument against was, if done wrong, the bonding could actually spread your corrosion. A second argument against was people kept an eye on the plates and not checking the through hulls periodically - meaning if something came loose they were not aware.
 
This thread's legs are surprisingly long.
 
psneeld said:
For all the belt and suspenders comments on TF every day, no one else is going to suggest a $1 jumper or second wire?
Click to expand...

I'll go ya one better! Get an Electro-Guard system which has a reference assembly with two contacts sticking through the hull. Those two must be correctly connected for the system to work.
 
There is always a jumper connecting those two bolts on the stern- it's called the anode/zinc :thumb:
 
FoxtrotCharlie said:
There is always a jumper connecting those two bolts on the stern- it's called the anode/zinc :thumb:
Click to expand...
Obviously....but if the ONE connection to the bonding system goes bad a jumper might save the day.


Again for all the OVER THE TOP stuff discussed here, can't for the life of me figure how this one is escaping....:banghead:.....especially how easy and inexpensive it is.....:facepalm:


I really don't care...just amused by the fickle nature of this forum. :D
 
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